Even though this pertains to the universe of the board game I've been working on, I decided to post this here rather than my thread in lesser games since it has nothing to do with the game-play, and is just back-story-relevant artwork.

Pics first, then explanation.

The first image is the flag of the Unified Federation of Kingdoms, or the U.F.K. The setting for this game is a world with a history steeped in arcane and elemental magics--powers which once determined the fate of the land and it's people. The world was divided into several different kingdoms, all of which were constantly waging wars with one another over land and resources. As time went on, several scholars began studying more natural laws of the universe, searching for a means of power more easily accessible than magic, which took decades of study to master if one wasn't born with an innate knack for it.They eventually discovered a primitive form of gunpowder, and devised a very early prototype coal-powered engine. Heralding their discoveries as the way of progress and shunning the ancient powers of the world, they began amassing a following, eventually uniting four of the more prominent kingdoms into one coalition, known as the Federation of Four Kingdoms. The Federation swept across the continents with their inventions and cannons. Some kingdoms joined immediately, outlawing the use of magic as they did, but many resisted. All eventually fell, however, and the Federation of Four Kingdoms became the Unified Federation of Kingdoms.With an industrial revolution at hand, many species of beast began dwindling, and going into hiding. Dragons, which once laughed in the face of man, elf and dwarf, couldn't stand up to the gunpowder blasts that rocked their mountain nests, and burrowed deep into the earth to hibernate until the end of the world. Other, less resilient creatures went extinct altogether.Practitioners of magic who refused unification formed covens and clans in deep forests and other secret parts of the world, and are hunted to this day by adventurous soldiers.The flag of the U.F.K. features a two-headed phoenix, symbolizing the birth of a new, unified people from the ashes of the old world. The crown's four stars represent the original four kingdoms of the federation, while the nine teeth of the gear-halo represent the nine provinces of the Federation.

The second picture is a Facebook cover photo I made, featuring some Federation propaganda, demonizing two cults which have sprung up.The Coven of Aethergods believes in the existence of other worlds existing parallel to this one, which can be traveled to via tears in the aether. They worship a demonoid race of "ancient gods" from one of these worlds, with whom they claim to be able to communicate with, and seek a means to open the correct aethergate to loose them on their world. They mix ancient arcane magics with modern technology and are seen by most civilized people as barbaric abominations.The Nautilite Coalition believes that modern industry has completely snuggled the land and the only pure place left is beneath the waves. They have a small land-dwelling sect, but most of their members live in iron-clad fortresses of boats which travel beneath the waves. It is rumored that some of them are not even human, but are aquatic races which joined the original human initiative, and shared their knowledge of the "ones locked in slumber beneath the seas, waiting to wake and bring a new world of purity by drowning the entire world above."The graffiti is advocating the Blackcloud Armada, which is a group of counter-culture marauders, bounty hunters and privateers.The emblem in the black box (which is hidden by a profile picture when not viewed in full) represents a shadowy organization rumored to pull the strings in many different government bodies, and known only as "the College."

Oh, I like that. Neat design, meaningful. Really captures the essence of the faction for which it was originally designed but remains versatile enough (with the common bird, crown, sword, and gear iconography) to be used elsewhere and given different meaning. The elements integrate beautifully, as well. They look like they belong together and nothing seems out of place. There is a lot to look at but it isn't too busy, in my opinion, and the elements occupy the available space well. The layered use of primary colors is a nice choice...somehow helps to make the symbol feel powerful and important. I'm impressed, mate. Very nice job.

I like the FB cover. The blue lens under the emblem is a nice touch and the representation of so many story elements in one place is a hard thing to pull off. I like what you did there with the hidden emblem for the secret society. That's inspired.

Thanks very much for the thoughtfully detailed remarks--I truly appreciate it.At this point, I feel like I've poured a thousand times more into the history of the setting than I have into the actual game yet, but I want to create a final product where the game and the story are closely intertwined, so I guess that's not a terrible thing. That last sentence had way too many commas.

(posted and internet died during posting, blarg, but what I said was something to the effect of...)

I get where you're coming from. Game design is a hobby of mine, as well. I can't see it as a bad thing, so long as it remains accessible. Which it looks like you've done well at so far. An evocative setting and smooth gameplay make for the benchmarks of a fun game and fun is what folks remember first and most about great games. Keep up the good work.